Back to Full List Untitled Iman Belali Scroll Cut Hardboard, Acrylic, Stucco, and Gold Leaf June Sekiguchi, artist Although Iman Belali is a young girl of 15, she had the global vision, initiative, and will to inspire a sister city relationship between her current home of Issaquah and Chefchaouen, Morocco, her ancestral home. In quick succession, the process of establishing the sister city relationship culminated in representatives from Issaquah's city government traveling to Chefchaouen where they were met with tremendous hospitality. Likewise, Issaquah is hosting exchange students as well as artists to share their art and culture. Iman's parents independently immigrated to the United States where they met each other and married. Iman was born in California. The family moved to Washington in 1992 and Iman is now a sophomore at Liberty High School with an interest in Anime and psychology. She says her parents are her role models. Iman considers both her Moroccan and American heritage to be of equal importance to her identity. June Sekiguchi's work reflects Iman's intuitive response to what symbolizes Morocco as well as the United States. The sun represents Morocco. It embraced the inner core of her life in America with her family, which is represented by a family tree that supports the foundation of who Iman is as a person. June integrated Iman's hair to texturize the tree trunk and to truly have her be a part of the sculpture. June has worked for several years on a body of work called the Silk Road Series. This work is centered on pattern within a cultural context. She is very influenced by various aesthetic influences and cross-cultural exchanges that occurred during the historic Silk Road. Islamic patterns in architectural details have been a sustaining interest and inspired her interest in choosing Iman Belali as her community partner.